fringe
Americannoun
-
fringes
plural
-
a decorative border of thread, cord, or the like, usually hanging loosely from a raveled edge or separate strip.
-
anything resembling or suggesting this.
a fringe of grass around a swimming pool.
-
an outer edge; margin; periphery.
on the fringe of the art world.
-
something regarded as peripheral, marginal, secondary, or extreme in relation to something else.
the lunatic fringe of a strong political party.
-
Optics. one of the alternate light and dark bands produced by diffraction or interference.
verb (used with object)
-
fringes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fringed,
past participle, past
-
fringing
present participle
-
to furnish with or as if with a fringe.
-
to serve as a fringe for, or to be arranged around or along so as to suggest a fringe.
armed guards fringing the building.
noun
-
an edging consisting of hanging threads, tassels, etc
-
-
an outer edge; periphery
-
( as modifier )
fringe dwellers
a fringe area
-
-
(modifier) unofficial; not conventional in form
fringe theatre
-
a section of the front hair cut short over the forehead
-
an ornamental border or margin
-
physics any of the light and dark or coloured bands produced by diffraction or interference of light
verb
-
to adorn or fit with a fringe or fringes
-
to be a fringe for
fur fringes the satin
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
underfringenoun
-
unfringeverb (used with object)
-
fringelessadjective
-
fringelikeadjective
-
fringyadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
fringesimple
-
fringessimple
-
have fringedperfect
-
has fringedperfect
-
am fringingprogressive
-
are fringingprogressive
-
is fringingprogressive
-
have been fringingperfect progressive
-
has been fringingperfect progressive
Past
-
fringedsimple
-
had fringedperfect
-
was fringingprogressive
-
were fringingprogressive
-
had been fringingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fringe
1325–75; Middle English frenge < Old French ( French frange ) < Vulgar Latin *frimbia, metathetic variant of Late Latin fimbria, Latin fimbriae fringe
Explanation
If you make cutoffs from jeans, the little white strings around the edges of the legs make a fringe. A fringe is a decorative edge made of hanging strings of fabric. You know how fringe hangs on the edge of fabric and clothing? Think of this picture when you see fringe used metaphorically to mean something that is on the outer boundaries of something else. Many cities hold events called fringe festivals that celebrate art created on the fringe of the established art world. A group of people whose beliefs place them on the outskirts of a social group is called a fringe group. And beware of the lunatic fringe — they are the extremists and fanatics of a social or political movement.
Vocabulary lists containing fringe
The House on Mango Street
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Shear Genius: Hairy Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The One and Only Ivan
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Chainlink necklaces, lace headpieces and even fringe bangs become a form of armor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Instead of being dismissed as a radical fringe outfit, the anti-Flock movement is taking hold.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
He also adapted Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard for the theatre, helping transform it from a "small fringe theatre" into a "venue regarded as the equal of the leading theatres of the West End".
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Arguments that Burger and Bork dismissed as fringe advocacy became orthodox within conservative legal circles.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Scarlet and smooth-scaled, it has a fringe of golden spikes around its snub-snouted face and extremely protuberant eyes.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
Some of these "fringes" measure only slightly more than 20 kilometers across.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
It's an approach that has become especially vital in the "urban fringes", says superintendent Andrew Shurety from Fire and Rescue NSW.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
In “Self-Portrait With Necklace,” a string of blue jadestones rests on Kahlo’s bare neck, above the fringes of a lace blouse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
After decades on the fringes of pop culture in the West, anime has become one of Hollywood’s hottest businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
“People as far on the fringes as you can get, completely dehumanized by ‘normal’ society.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Woven baskets, checkered blankets, fringed umbrellas and trimmed napkins prove picnic classics never go out of style.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Boxy tweed boucle jackets with fringed trims and structured brightly coloured handbags were the order of day, with various materials including lace also on display.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
Carrying loved ones and a handful of quickly snatched belongings, families trekked along narrow paths slick with mud and fringed by dense greenery, heading to relative safety.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2025
The muscle man is a precise physical comedian: With his fringed leather jacket and bleached mane, Momoa’s Garrett looks and acts like the hair-metal version of the Cowardly Lion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2025
Charley, having explored the area, sat at my feet, his fringed ears blowing like laundry on a line.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Sat behind a fringing machine at the mill, Hyslop, 28, deftly ran a dark cashmere fabric destined for a Spanish luxury brand through its frame, twisting the ends of the cloth into fringes.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
The double-sided style is finished with chunky fringing and, even better, large rectangular pockets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025
The world's largest fringing reef and another of Australia's Unesco World Heritage Sites, it is home to a lush oceanic forest that spreads out along the coast for hundreds of kilometres.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025
After 10 days underway from New Zealand, the Araon reached the sea ice fringing Antarctica.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 18, 2024
The Mlothi was on the veld fringing Alexandra to the east, about half a mile from where we lived.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
